Where has Jamie Been?

So I've been a little MIA recently, but it's been for good cause! I've been doing this:

and this:

and this! (sorry, didn't take any of my own photos!)


The strawberries are just strawberries dipped in tempered chocolate. The cake is the same recipe as this. But the brownies! I will give you the brownie recipe. I've been making an effort to buy more cook books recently. I obviously love cooking, and I love books, but I get most of my recipes and inspiration from the web. So, I picked up Baked NYC's cookbook, Baked. I was drawn to their rustic styling and use of ingredients like malt powder. 


These brownies are very delicious - on the fudgey side. Brownies are one thing I often don't make from scratch (egad!), I just don't find homemade brownies THAT much better than boxed. But these - these brownies are worth it. Make them from scratch.


1 1/4 C flour
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp dark unsweetened cocoa powder
11 oz dark chocolate
1 C unsalted butter, cut into 1" pieces
1 tsp instant espresso powder
1 1/2 C granulated sugar
1/2 C light brown sugar
5 large eggs, room temp
2 tsp vanilla

Heat oven to 350 and grease a 9x13 pan. Whisk together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder. Place the chocolate, butter, and espresso powder in a large heat proof bowl (glass). Place this bowl over a double boiler (an inch or two of water simmering in a sauce pan) and gently stir until melted and smooth. Turn off the heat but leave the bowl over the water, whisk in the sugars until combined. Once the mixture is room temperature, add the eggs one at a time and whisk until combined. Add the vanilla and stir - don't over beat at this point or the brownies will be cakey. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chocolate mixture and fold in gently with a spatula. Pour into your prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool before cutting.

 ~ By the way! All of these treats were made for Mr. Olivier Wever's 40th birthday party - the talented and innovative artistic director of Whim W'him, a contemporary ballet company in Seattle. Find out about the company here. And more pictures of the party are here! ~ 

Floral Baking - Part 2

Ok, I know this is much delayed, but my first floral baking endeavor was to accompany another for my sister-in-law's birthday party (Happy Birthday Katie! ... two weeks ago!). I'm finally getting around to posting the second recipe. 

This chocolate cake recipe is slightly adapted from the one on the back of the Hershey's cocoa powder can, a tip from Danielle and her mom. With a few alterations, the recipe is really easy (one bowl!) and always comes out perfect. I make it all the time. The frosting is from a Joy the Baker recipe, perfect buttercream texture and just a hint of rose.

Chocolate Cupcakes

1 3/4 C sugar

1 3/4 C flour
3/4 C cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

1 C milk

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 C vegetable oil

1 C very hot coffee

Preheat oven to 350. Line cupcake pan with paper liners. In a large bowl, use a wisk to incorporate the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the eggs, milk, vanilla, and oil, and beat until well combined. Add the coffee and stir until combined, batter will be very thin. Fill the cupcake liners about 2/3 full with batter (a levered ice cream scoop helps for even distribution). Bake for 22-25 minutes.

Rose Water Buttercream

2 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 C sugar

1 C milk

1/3 C flour

1 1/2 tbsp vanilla

1 tsp rosewater

In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, cream the butter until soft. Add the sugar and beat on high for 7 minutes, until fluffy. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine 1/4 C of the milk with the flour and vanilla. Whisk until there are no lumps. Over medium heat, slowly add the rest of the milk. Cook until the mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Allow the milk mixture to cool to room temperature (the fridge or freezer helps). With the mixer on low speed, slowing add the milk mixture to the butter and sugar. Add the rose water, increase the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy.

Chocolate Caramel Crack

This was my thought process yesterday: What do I want to make tonight... I should really use up that escarole I have left over from soup... oh my god, I want chocolate.

And so I came to the chocolate caramel crack recipe. I've known about it for a while, Danielle made it once a few years ago and it's seen its way around blogs. I usually don't even have that much of a sweet tooth, but yesterday I needed chocolate caramel crack (crackers technically, but I prefer crack).

Chocolate Caramel Crackers
1 1/2 sleeves of saltine crackers (matzo can also be used)
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 C packed brown sugar
Pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 C semi or bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks
Handful of chopped toasted nuts of choice (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Cover a baking sheet completely in foil, and then cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom. Line the entire bottom with saltines or matzo, Like this: 

In a sauce pan melt the butter and sugar together over medium heat. When the mixture starts to boil, cook for 3 more minutes stirring constantly. Take the pot off of the heat and stir in the salt and vanilla. Pour the caramel over the crackers and spread out to cover all of the crackers. Bake for 15 minutes, watching closely to make sure the edges don't burn. Take the pan out of the oven and immediately sprinkle with the chocolate. Let sit for about 5 minutes, and when the chocolate is melted, use a knife to spread over the caramel. Sprinkle with nuts. If you have room in your fridge, throw the sheet in there to allow the chocolate to set, if not, it'll just take longer. When the chocolate is firm, break into pieces.

Did I get up at midnight to eat more of this? Did I have chocolate caramel crack for breakfast? 


... Remember, crack kills.

Peanut Blossoms

Ok, this is the last from the Christmas cookie files. I'm sure everyone has a recipe for these, but if not, here you go!

1/2 C butter
1 C peanut butter chips
2/3 C packed brown sugar
1 egg
3/4 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 C flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
Granulated sugar
Hershey's kisses, unwrapped


Preheat oven to 350. In a saucepan over low heat melt the butter and peanut butter chips, stirring constantly. Pour mixture into a large bowl and add the brown sugar, egg, and vanilla. Beat until well blended. Stir in flour and baking soda, blending well. Shape into 1 inch balls and roll them in granulated sugar. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately place a kiss in the middle of each cookie. Cool on a wire wrack.

Toffee Nut Bars

Another from the Rowe family Christmas cookie archives.

1/2 C butter

1/2 C brown sugar

1 C flour

1 tsp vanilla

1 11 oz chocolate bar

3/4 C chopped pecans or walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream the butter and sugar, add the flour and vanilla. Press and flatten in to the bottom of an ungreased 13 x 9 inch pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Melt the chocolate bar and spread over the cookie. Sprinkle the chocolate with the chopped nuts.

Toffee Cookies - Take 2

Have I mentioned that I love toffee? Imagine my excitement when I came across this recipe while perusing food blogs (definitely not) at work. Warning: this recipe has a pound of chocolate in it. 

Chocolate Toffee Cookies

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 pound chocolate (I used a combination of bittersweet and semi-sweet, some Ghiradelli, some Baker's)

1/4 cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick)

1 3/4 cup brown sugar

4 eggs

1 tbsp vanilla

5 toffee bars (1.4 oz each) (like Heath), chopped

salt (optional)

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl with a whisk. Melt chocolate and butter over a double boiler. If you're ghetto, like me, do this:

(The Pot-On-Pot "I don't have a" Double Boiler)

Use an electric mixer (I have one of these!):

(My BEAUTIFUL pistachio green KitchenAid mixer [thanks Dad!])

...to combine the brown sugar and eggs, beat for 5 minutes. Beat in the chocolate and vanilla. Stir in the flour, then stir in the toffee chunks (I suppose you could follow the original recipe and also add walnuts, but I think nuts are for pansies). Some toffee porn: 

Don't be alarmed by the batter being very thin. I was, because I did not read the whole recipe and did not realize there was refrigeration time involved. I loathe recipes with refrigeration time, I'm not that patient! But alas, it's necessary for this one. Refrigerate for about an hour, then drop spoonfuls onto a parchment paper/wax paper/silpat covered cookie sheet. If you want, sprinkle with salt. I did this for the first 1 or 2 batches and then forgot. If I knew which cookies came from which batches... I'd let you know if it made a difference. Bake for 12-15 minutes (I definitely needed at least 15). Also, let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for at least 10 minutes or so before transferring to a cooling rack, otherwise the bottoms will be too soft and fall out. 

I'd say these are better than Toffee Cookie attempt number one, but not every day cookies. They are VERY rich! Remember... a POUND of chocolate. On that note, I'll never fall asleep tonight from too much sugar intake.